Puppet Eye Mountings

So, with the wooden bases cut and in work, the eye mountings need to be prepared. I use coat hanger wire, mainly because it is what I have always used. Not so easy to come by in this modern age, though, so I am drawing from my stash. One thing every puppeteer learns pretty quickly is to SAVE everything that might even remotely be useful in building your puppets. I have been guilty of this for at least 40 years and some of my "stash" is that old, traveling with me from place to place and inevitably right there when I need it. ( if only I had had the forsight to hoard away some "Celastic" from back in the day, now that it is no longer available!)

Anyway, based on the concept sketch I bend and shape the wire to house the Eyes, using 1/4" plastic beads as spacers. The Up/Down eye animation requires a strong base which will be epoxy bonded to the wooden mouth base piece. The Side/Side animation has an "S" base with plastic tubing for height spacing, which will also be epoxied to the base. DON'T use Hot Glue for this...only 2 part Epoxy will be strong enough to bond the eye frames down to the wooden base so that they never shift or come loose. It is messy and smelly but totally worth the strength of the bond.

A glued rigid cross-piece between the Up/Down eyes keeps them level and able to animate. A loosely bent wire cross-piece between screw eyes on the Side/ Side eyes allows them to shift easily.

Next the whole Head Assembly comes together with Eyes that move and mouth's that talk!